Cigarette case



W. P. J. HAGARTY.

CIGARETTE CASE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 24,1920.

1,407,746. Patented Feb. 28, 1922.

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Specification of Letters Patent. I Patented Feb. 28 1922.

Application filed June 24, 1920. Serial No. 891,424.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM' P. J. HAG- nR'rY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Avon, in the county of Bon Homme and State of SouthDakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CigaretteCases; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, suchas will enable othe'rs skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to a case for earrying cigarettes or othersimilar articles in the pocket, and aims to provide a novel.

and improved container of that kind.

It is the object of the invention to provide a. case having an endlessbelt therein provided with grooves or similar means for receiving andholding the cigarettes or articles, and means for mounting or moving thebelt whereby-the cigarettes can be brought one at a time in successionto a slot or opening for removal from the case.

t is also the objectof'the invention to provide a device of thecharacter indicated which is comparatively simple and inexpensive inconstruction,.as well as being convenient and efiicient in use.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be apparent asthe description proceeds, the invention resides ,in the construction andarrangement of parts here,- inafter described and claimed, it beingunderstood that changescan-bemade Within the scope of what is claimedwithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

- The invention is illustrated in the accom-- panying drawing, whereinFigure 11s a perspective .view of theimproved case.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection on the line 2-2. of Fig. 1.

The case proper, designated 5, can be made of sheet metal or othersuitable material and finished in any preferred way, being of a widthto'accommodate cigarettes of the desired len h and the case can be ofany length desire according to the capacity wanted. Parallel shafts'fiare mounted forrotation in the edgeportions of the case 5 adjacent tothe ends thereof, and have rollers 7 thereon within the case aroundwhich an endless belt 8 of rubber or other suitablematerial extends tomove along the opposite sides and ends of the case. The outer surface ofthe belt has integral trans- .with the after which the side 15: is swungclose verse ribs 9 forming transverse grooves or receptacles 10 forreceiving and holdin the cigarettes 11, or other articles, and ai 12 issecured to one end of one of the shafts 6 for turning the correspondin'roller 7, whereby to move the belt. The e ges of the rlbs 9 are narrowor thin and such ribs increase in thickness from said edges to theirbases so that the grooves between them are concaved transverselythereof'to snugly receive the cigarettes. One end of the case 5 has aslot 13 past which the grooves 10 move n succession when the belt ismoved, thereits ends for convenience in lifting the ciga-v rette out ofthe groove 10 and slot 13. Said slot 13 is preferably at one end'ofthecase, knob 12 adjacent to saidslot for convenience in manipulating thedevice.

For convenience in placing the cigarettes within the case, it isreferable to have one side, designated '15, hlnged, as at 16, at thatend opposite to the slot 13 so that said side nob 15 can be swung open,thereby exposing one half or run of the belt, so that the cigarettes acan be readily placed within the grooves 10. The belt can then be movedto move said half or portion thereof to the opposite side, so that theremaining half can be filled The side 15 can be held closed by anysuitable means, such as by an car 17 extending from one or both edges tooverlap and engage the edge port on of the case frictionally, althoughother suitable means can be used for this purpose.

When a cigarette is removed through the slot 13, the remainingcigarettesare retained in the case against accidental loss therefrom, and when acigarette is wanted the knob 12 is simply turned until a. cigarette isbroughtv under the slot 13, when it can be readilyrremoved therefrom.The cigarettes are thus'retained 1n the case, and are only brought toposltion for removal one at a time in 511006$1011, thereby avo1d1n thespilling or loss of the cigarettes, and a fording convenient means fordispensing the cigarettes. The cigarettes are .retalned 1n the grooves10 which confront the sides andends of the case inasmuch as the walls ofthe case keep the cigarettes from falling from said grooves, thecigarettes moving along said walls. The cigarettes are held snugly'between the ribs 9 by friction, and it will be noted that where thebelt extends around the rollers 7, the bending of thebelt will separatethe ribs 9, thereby loosening the cigarettes where they pass around therollers at the ends of the case. Therefore, by having the slot 13located at one end of the case beyond the corresponding roller 7, thecigarettes are loosened adjacent to said slot, so that they can bereadily removed through the slot.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is A deviceof the character described, comprising a flat case, rollers mounted 1nthe case adjacent to the ends thereof, means for arated slightly at thepoints where the belt extends around the rollers, the case having atransverse slot at one end beyond one roller' for removing thecigarettes or ar ticles'.

In testimony whereof I have'signed named to this specification.

. WILLIAM P. J. HAGARTY.

